Handrail for escalator

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a circulating handrail for escalators or the like provided with a handle and an endwise flexible pull transmission means.

United States Patent [191 Phal [ 1 HANDRAIL FOR ESCALATOR [21] Appl. No.2 325,280

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 Feb. 11,1975

3,688,889 9/1972 Koch et ul. l98/l6 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 556,502 7/1923 France 198/16 Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Joseph E. Valenza Altorney, Agent, or Firm-Gerard J. Weiser; Alfred Stapler; Karl L. Spivak Jan. 24, I972 Germany .4 2203178 [52] U.S. Cl 198/16 R [511 im. Cl. B66b 9/12 [57] ABSTRAcT [58] Field of Search l98lllgzll28s; The invention relates to a Circuating handrail for es calators or the like provided with a handle and an end- 56] References and wise flexible pull transmission means.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures 2,275,048 3/l942 Hohnecker l98/l6 6 M 2 5 FIG.L

L mwxw 9 8 9 Y HANDRAIL FOR ESCALATOR The invention relates to a cirulating handrail for escalators or the like provided with a handle and an endwise flexible pull transmission means. In known handrails, the pull transmission means consists of textile and/or wire netting insertions imbedded in rubber or elastic plastic material. Usually, handrails of such a kind are manufactured as endless product by the manufacturing firm and are cut to size as individually required. Since the handrails must revolve with the escalator, it is necessary to connect the free ends of the handrail when being assembled so that an endlessly circulating handrail is formed. In order to attain at the junction, if possible, the same tensile strength as that of the handrail itself, the individual layers of one end of the handrail would have to be connected to the corresponding layers of the other end, which, however, is hardly possible.

Therefore, the ends of the handrail are pointed or provided with stepped stages in order to enlarge the contact surfaces of the ends. Nevertheless, the junction still represents a weak point of the handrail which often disturbs the operation of the escalator.

Therefore, in more recent developments the entire length of the handrail has been divided into individual segments of the same cross section which are either directly connected to each other (DT-PS 1,811,982 (German Patent) and 2,004,000) or mounted on steel side-bar chain serving as drag chain (US. Pat. No. 2,766,886).

The disadvantage of all of the known segment handrails is a too low rigidity in the direction of course since the free motion between every pair of elements due to maunfacturing and assembly adds to an inadmissibly large free motion relative to the entire length. This is particulary true in the case of wear upon operation for a long time and become noticeable by the strong increase of noise during operation. Stopping the handrail on purpose by the public constitutes a considerable risk of accident especially for older people as has been evidenced by several prototypes which are in operation.

ln addition, the rate of wear of segment handrails having no drag chain is higher because the handrail must also be supported by guide rails at the non-utilized reverse side in the inner area of the escalator since the composite structure of the segments would fall due to the own weight of the handrail.

A further disadvantage of the known segment handrails is the wear which occurs as a result of the gliding friction between the segments and guide rails which finally necessitates the exchange of the whole segment handrail. The selection of the material for an undivided segment of such a handrail necessarily represents a compromise between the coefficient of friction, modulus of elasticity, and profiling and thus does not admit an optimum solution of the problem from an economical point of view.

Therefore, it is the object of the invention to create a circulating segment handrail which can be easily assembled without great efforts to any length of great rigidity and whose exchangeable parts are designed according to their different stress characteristics.

According to the invention, this problem is solved in that the handrail consists of separate tandem joined segments which are exchangeably connected to a continuous pull transmission means. This separate transmission means is constructed to form a flexible metal or plastic element, however, of endwise poor elongation for receiving the occurring tensile stress. It may consist of one or several continuous parallel disposed strips or wires strapped together or cables. The pull transmission means is cut to the required length at the assembly point. The connection of the free ends of the pull transmission means may be simply and reliably effected by riveting, screwing, welding, gluing or the like. The segments may be subsequently mounted on the pull transmission means. In the construction according to the invention, only the separately designed pull transmission means is subjected to the tensile stress.

The pull transmission means consists preferably of a steel band, having recesses into which the segments can be releaseably inserted, e.g., buttoned, to provide a form-closed connection with the segments. It is advantageous if the segments are made of plastic material so that they can be manufactured in one operation by injection molding.

The segments of the handrail may as well be divided into, e.g., an upper and a lower portion which are joined together to a form-closed arrangement embracing the pull transmission means by engaging in recesses of the pull transmission means by means of corresponding projections. A form-closed connection can also be achieved in that projections arranged on the pull transmission means engage in corresponding recesses of the segments. Divided segments have the advantage that the individual component parts may be adapted so as to meet the different stress. Thus, for example, the inner portion facing the stair case (lower portion) may be, intentionally constructed as wearing part having a satisfactory coefficient of friction relative to the stair case guides as well as a high notch toughness whereas the outer handle member (upper portion) can be adapted so as to meet the requirements of interior decoration with respect to form, color or material. For example, it is imaginable that every tenth segment responds to UV-rays in order to allow the public to discern the running direction of the escalator even at a great distance.

The lower portion of the segments may be provided with any kind of gear-tooth system on the side facing the stair case by means of which the drive of the handrail is effected. The driving force may also act directly on the pull transmission means in that it is provided with recesses or projecting parts into which a correspondingly shaped drive gear engages.

In order to obtain a satisfactory outer seal of the handrail, the tandem joined handle segments disposed on the pull transmission means may at least partly overlap and be prestressedly mounted in the elastic range so that in operation no open wedge-shaped slots are formed.

In order to exclude all risks of accident due to articles of dress or the like being caught, the outer surface of the handle segments may be surrounded by a clamped elastic protective cover extending over the entire length of the handrail.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated by the drawing and is described in detail in the following means of the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a practical example of the handrail according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line IlII of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through another practical example of the handrail according to the invention,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 4,

FIGS. 6a, 6b are, respectively, sectional and plan views of a third embodiment of the pull transmission means,

FIGS. 7a, 7b, 7c are, respectively, sectional, plan, and side views of a fourth embodiment of the pull transmission means,

FIGS. 8a, 8b, 8c are, respectively, sectional, plan, and side views of a fifth embodiment of the pull transmission means,

FIGS. 9a, 9b, are, respectively, sectional and plan views of a sixth embodiment of the pull transmission means,

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section through a segment handrail having a wire pull transmission means according to FIG. 9 for illustrating the tongue-shaped edges of the segments.

According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the handle of the handrail consists of individual segments 4 fixidly mounted in tandem on the pull transmission means 2 which is constructed as a steel belt. The segments 4 are divided into an upper portion 6 and a lower portion 8 buttoned together to an arrangement which form-closedly embraces the pull transmission means. For manufacturing this button connection which is releasable in case of wear, projections 10 are provided on the inner surface of the upper portion 6 which can snap into corresponding recesses 12 of the lower portion 8.

For receiving the pull transmission means 2, the lower portion 8 exhibits on the area facing the upper portion 6 a channel 14 adapted to the cross section of the pull transmission means. In the assembled state, the lower portion 8 rests tightly against the inner surface of the strap of the upper portion 6, the pull transmission means 2 being clamped between these two parts. For the form-closed connection with the segments 4 the pull transmission means 2 exhibits punched out spaces 16 into which tongues 18 engage laterally projecting in the receiving channel 14. A connection of such a kind represents in all directions an efficient hold of the segments 4 on the steel belt 2.

The lower portions 8 have a tooth construction 20 on the side facing the staircase into which a gear wheel can engage for driving the handrail. In a staircase construction where the handrail is guided around a drive gear, the tooth construction 20 may accordingly be shaped as annular gear segments.

In order to obtain an efficient outer seal, the segments 4 interlock movably at their ends. For this purpose, one end of the segments is provided with a concave surface 22 and the other end with a convex surface 24 respectively, whereby the convex surface 24 of one segment interlocks with the concave surface 22 of the next segment.

By this arrangement, an outwardly substantially closed segment belt is created whose segments are rotatable relative to each other about a horizontal axis disposed across the axis of the steel belt 2.

In order to avoid all possible risks of accident due to objects being caught between the individual segments 4, the outer surface of the segments 4 is additionally surrounded by an elastic protective cover 26 for precloding clamping extending over the entire length of the handrail. The protective cover 26 is C-shaped and embraces the outer portion 6 of the segment. The protective cover was holding beads 28 at the free ends extending along the entire length which engage in corresponding longitudinal slots 30 provided on the outer surface of the C-shaped upper portion 6 and thereby result in a stable fit of the protective cover 26 on the segments 4.

In the embodiment of the handrail according to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the parts having the same reference numerals correspond to those of FIGS. 1 to 3. Also in this case, the segments which are releasably connected to the continuous pull transmission means 2 consist of an upper portion 6 and a lower portion 8; the releasable connection of upper and lower portion is brought about by the engagement of the lower portion 8 behind the projections 9. Tongues 18 protruding into the receiving channel 14 of the lower portion 8 which engage into punched out spaces 16 of the pull transmission means provide also in this case a form-closed connection of the two-part handrail segments with the pull transmission means. In this embodiment, the tandem joined segments do not have an additional protective cover 26, but the upper portions 6 themselves are elastic to the extent that they can be prestressedly (initially tensioned) mounted so that no open wedge-shaped slots occur in operation. In this embodiment, the pull transmission means 2 is constructed for a form-closed drive. For this purpose, it is provided with punched out apertures 3 and at the same time, the lower portion 8 has corresponding openings 7 and the upper portion a depression 5 for permitting the teeth of a driving gear or a driving belt to engage into the punched out apertures 3 of the pull transmission means.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view and a sectional view of the pull transmission means of the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 7 shows a pull transmission means whose bent up lips 11 of the punched out apertures 3 serve at the same time for the drive as well as for the form-closed connection of the pull transmission means with, e.g., only one-part segments 4 which have projections at the underside engaging between the bent up lips of two adjacent apertures and at the same time are also provided with holding beads and are made of elastic material so that they can be clamped over the pull transmission means.

A similar embodiment of the pull transmission means 2 which is likewise suitable for one-part handrail segments is shown in FIG. 8. There, the drive can act on the pull transmission means only in one direction by engaging into the corrugations 13 which are formed by punching a slot and bulging with a follow-on tool.

FIG. 10 shows that the adjacent edges of the upper portion 6 of the handrail segments of this embodiment of the invention exhibit grooves and projections shaped as tongue 15 which is under initial tension in straight line operation of the handrail. Due to the movable interlocking of the ends of the segments 4 by means of these tongue elements it is also guaranteed that no slots occur between the individual segments at the curved portions of the handrail. In this case, the pull transmission means is a wire pull transmission means whose wires 17 are secured by clamps 19 at the respective interval of the segments, said clamps fitting into corresponding recesses provided in the lower and upper portion of the handrail segments. Openings 21 preferably provided in the direction of drive behind these clamps in the lower portion 8 of the segments 4 allow the engagement of gear wheels behind the clamps l9 and, thus, a form-closed drive of the wire pull transmission means.

I claim:

1. An endless-loop handrail for an escalator or the like, comprising:

a generally flat, elongated non-articulated member of high tensile strength material forming an endless through pull transmission means and having longitudinally spaced recesses; and

upper and lower sets of segments, encompassing and respectively contacting the opposite flat faces of said transmission means, and having dependent side portions laterally embracing the transmission means, each segment in one set being of material sufficiently resilient to be clamped laterally of said transmission means to a segment in the other set, and the segments in one said set having protrusions mating with said recesses in said transmission means for the transmission of driving force between said segments and said transmission means of the handrail.

2. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on said upper face have portions laterally embracing the pull transmission means.

3. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the ends of the pull transmission means are adapted to be joined together to form a form-closed drive.

4. The handrail of claim 3 wherein the segments are also adapted to form a form-closed drive when the ends of the pull transmission means are joined together.

5. The handrail of claim 6, wherein said segments on said upper face are formed of pre-tensioned, elastic segments interlocking at their ends so as to provide a substantially continuous outer configuration.

6. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on the upper face of said pull transmission means are made of elastic material.

7. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on the upper face of said pull transmission means are sur' rounded by an endless protective cover.

8. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the individual segments on the lower face of the pull transmission means are made of materail having good frictional characteristics and high notch toughness.

9. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on said opposite faces are releasably clamped to each other by means of button-like arrangements.

10. The handrail of claim 8 wherein the segments are interlocked in their respective ends so as to be rotatable relative to each other.

11. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the pull through transmission means is formed of a flexible metal or plastic element.

12. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the transmission means is made of material having endwise poor elongation under tension.

13. The handrail of claim 1 wherein longitudinally spaced ones of said segments are of a visually distinctive type to assist visual identification of direction of movement.

14. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the pull transmission means is in the form of a plurality of laterally displaced strands.

15. The handrail of claim 1 wherein said pull transmission means is provided with longitudinally spaced apertures for engagement by the drive means for said handrail. 

1. An endless-loop handrail for an escalator or the like, comprising: a generally flat, elongated non-articulated member of high tensile strength material forming an endless through pull transmission means and having longitudinally spaced recesses; and upper and lower sets of segments, encompassing and respectively contacting the opposite flat faces of said transmission means, and having dependent side portions laterally embracing the transmission means, each segment in one set being of material sufficiently resilient to be clamped laterally of said transmission means to a segment in the other set, and the segments in one said set having protrusions mating with said recesses in said transmission means for the transmission of driving force between said segments and said transmission means of the handrail.
 2. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on said upper face have portions laterally embracing the pull transmission means.
 3. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the ends of the pull transmission means are adapted to be joined together to form a form-closed drive.
 4. The handrail of claim 3 wherein the segments are also adapted to form a form-closed drive when the ends of the pull transmission means are joined together.
 5. The handrail of claim 6, wherein said segments on said upper face are formed of pre-tensioned, elastic segments interlocking at their ends so as to provide a substantially continuous outer configuration.
 6. The handrail of claim 1 whereiN the segments on the upper face of said pull transmission means are made of elastic material.
 7. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on the upper face of said pull transmission means are surrounded by an endless protective cover.
 8. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the individual segments on the lower face of the pull transmission means are made of materail having good frictional characteristics and high notch toughness.
 9. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the segments on said opposite faces are releasably clamped to each other by means of button-like arrangements.
 10. The handrail of claim 8 wherein the segments are interlocked in their respective ends so as to be rotatable relative to each other.
 11. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the pull through transmission means is formed of a flexible metal or plastic element.
 12. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the transmission means is made of material having endwise poor elongation under tension.
 13. The handrail of claim 1 wherein longitudinally spaced ones of said segments are of a visually distinctive type to assist visual identification of direction of movement.
 14. The handrail of claim 1 wherein the pull transmission means is in the form of a plurality of laterally displaced strands.
 15. The handrail of claim 1 wherein said pull transmission means is provided with longitudinally spaced apertures for engagement by the drive means for said handrail. 